I used to go to gyms frequently; now I have my own stuff. I sometimes had issues (usually when a gym goer tried to tie up several pieces of equipment while doing “super sets”) but for the most part, it was fine.
There is a recent account that calls out toxic gym behavior..here are a few examples:
And his videos have been welcomed by many, including me.
But..you guessed it…his work has been co-opted into the broader culture wars:
Example of some of the pushback can be found here. And this is frustrating.
On one hand, *some* of his stuff has been picked up by social conservatives.
Example:
And some liberals decry this..they claim that Swoll’s work gives some men permission to be misogynistic.
And this is why online discussion of sensitive topics is becoming increasingly worthless.
In a shared space, there will be looking at each other; there will be glances. And a glance is not the same as a prolonged stare.
But some liberals divide the world into “privileged” vs “not privileged” and if you are in the not-privileged category, your feelings rule; others must acquiesce to them. If a woman says she “feels uncomfortable” because of a quick glace, the man is in the wrong.
But any shared space has to have some sort of reasonableness standard to work.
You see these “reasonableness standards” debates all the time at any public place: how much standing is ok at a ball game, cell phone use in public areas, when is filming in a public place ok, behavior of kids in a public area (some just let their kids run amok), dogs (leashed vs unleashed), movie theater behavior, etc.
And I admit that, increasingly, my solution is to avoid public spaces more and more, though I still go to live sporting events. (note: I pay a premium to sit in first row seats..no worries about standing there).
Life of an old goat 